Hello everybody!

I'm new to this forum, and I'm planning on moving to Switzerland in about 2 months to work in a hotel.

I have a question for expats living out there (especially if you've been out there a while) - is there anything you wish you had known about Switzerland before moving out there, and what information did you wish you had had before you left home?

Even if it's just a small thing I'd be really interested to know :-)

Helen

Have a look around the forum. There are tons of threads with subjects which seem to pop up most with people moving to and living in Switzerland.

Keep in mind that people mainly report negative stuff, though, so the threads may have a rather depressing bias but there are also some threads on things that are positive, too.

That's an interesting question

I wish I had known the exchange rate could change so much

And also I wish I hit the mountains sooner

Never start eating until all are served and you or someone has said "en Guete" (German part).

Never start drinking without a toast, and always look the person in the eye and remember to say their name (good luck with remembering all the ones you just met).

Not doing the above is really, really bad form and won't be forgotten.

This made me chuckle but it is actually true beware

2 months is a breeze, you will like it here. You probably don't need to know nutin..it's expensive here, maybe that.

She's moving here in 2 months, not for 2 months...

No MC, she is coming here in 2 months, not for two months.

Learn some German, that will definitely help.

Edit.. Sandgrounder you are too quick!

Remember that the shops are closed on Sundays and holidays. You will not starve, but it does mean a different concept of planning your week. Find out which night is late night shopping for your area. If truly desperate there is usually something open at the airports and main train stations in big cities.

Oy, ok. Rrright..

Then get a haircut

Telling a mod to learn German.....how cheeky!

Oops!

Sandgrounder - Thanks, I'll try having a look around, just wondered if anyone currently on here felt like sharing.

That's correct, I'll be going there in 2 months time, and hopefully staying for a long time.

Thanks for the point runningdeer about the shops. I remember when everything was closed on a Sunday around my town and now that I have a full time job to plan around, I often do my shopping on a Sunday as Saturday I just want to relax from the week at work. So I will look out for that.

If anyone has anything to add, no matter how big or small, I'd be really grateful

The Coop in Baden is open on a Sunday, so I'm pretty sure there will be at least one open in Zurich.

Schrecklich, indeed!

I think it was ha's practical advice to our OP.

(if you learn German, your chances for a better haircut increase, for reals )

OP, where are you going to be working? When I worked in a hotel Sundays and public holidays were definitely pretty much never days off so I never gave a hoot about shop opening hours for my first couple of years here.

One thing I wished I had known, was more about health / accident insurance. I almost had a very serious accident, while uninsured, and would have been paying through my teeth for years but fortunately nothing happened.

If you are not starting work immediately after you arrive maybe make sure you are insured when you arrive.

I guess you are probably going to be offered a health insurance by the hotel, but you can choose your own health insurance and possibly save some money. If you are going to be working and staying for a long period of time (more than a year) it could be very worth your while. If you are only staying for a season then it would be simpler to accept the hotel's insurance.

Check www.comparis.ch for health insurance price comparisons.

After 3 years in Zug, I wish I'd know that the Coop in the bahnhof was open on Sundays.

I really wish I'd known how easy it is to get out and about into the hills and mountains to walk, bike, picnic.

I wish I'd known how good the lifestyle is living here, as I wouldn't have hestitated as long as I did.

I wish I'd known how easy it is generally to get things done, as it would have made the pre-move mentally easier. Simple things like you go to a telecoms provider (WWZ) and ask for a phone connection, cable tv and broadband. 10mins to fill in a form, 15mins to walk home, 10second to switch the tv on, and hey presto, magic, it works.

Watch-outs : There are lots of rules about what you can't do, what you must do. These seems to vary on situation and location. I wish there was some way of knowing them all (and remembering) before I upset someone. But, the fun thing is discovering them. After 3years, there still seems to be at least 1 new one per month.

Whatever happens, you'll enjoy it.

i wish I had known about this https://www.easyfind.com/ch/web/ui/l...ndoffices.aspx
since I am always losing stuff

Don't feel bad. Given that the coop only opened in December, you only missed out on its first 5 months and not 3 years

Unless there are more than five of you.

Tom